You are beautiful and worthy even if you struggle with an eating disorder. You are enough even if you struggle with disordered eating. You are worthy even when you struggle.
How often do you feel like you’re a failure or you’re not enough when you’re struggling with food or with an eating disorder? I understand. It can be so easy to feel like a failure when you’re struggling. However, you are ALWAYS enough – even when you’re struggling. A lot of times, when we’re struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, we start to feel very mentally and emotionally worn thin. Either it’s the emotional and mental exhaustion that’s causing us to struggle more, OR it’s the struggle that’s causing us to feel mentally and emotionally exhausted. Because of this, it’s very easy to start to believe the lies that we tell ourselves – for example, that we’re not enough. Whenever we are exhausted mentally, it makes everything in life feel harder.
When you’re tired physically or mentally, everything can feel hard; hard things can feel undoable; hurtful things can cut deeper; and struggles can feel all-consuming. First, I want you to know that this is NORMAL. So, if you’re feeling this way, take a deep breathe and know that you’re not alone.
When I struggled with an eating disorder, I struggled because I needed something that I could control. I felt so worn out mentally and emotionally that I needed something to help me cope. I saw a new therapist recently, and she put that into perspective for me – it wasn’t necessarily an eating disorder to start – it was a coping mechanism that turned into an eating disorder. How often do we feel this burn out, this sadness, this emotional overwhelm that we need SOMETHING to help us cope? Something to help us survive. And I know for me, I didn’t have the tools and resources to know, learn, or incorporate healthy coping mechanisms, and so I turned to food. Does this sound familiar? Maybe you are struggling with a coping mechanism that’s turned into so much more. Or maybe you’re feeling mentally / emotionally worn out and need something to help you cope. Maybe you’re starting to turn towards food as an escape. If this is you, I understand. I really do. I also NOW know that there are healthier ways to cope and to take care of ourselves.
I want to share some of those with you. But, I also want you to know that healthy coping mechanisms can look different for every single person. It all comes down to taking care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually SO THAT we don’t get to a place of severe burn out and exhaustion. For me, it looks like MAKING space and time for myself to be alone and do things that I love; it looks like going to therapy; it looks like working out and doing different styles of movement that my body loves; it looks like meditation; it looks like dancing; it looks like being myself and not conforming to who other people want me to be; it looks like music and dancing; and it looks like a LOT of self- compassion and love.
You are beautiful and enough and worthy EVEN when you’re struggling. You also deserve to take care of yourself and have healthy coping mechanisms. You deserve to take care of yourself so that you don’t get severely worn out and exhausted. It can feel overwhelming to make those changes, but I would encourage you to start small. I am here if you need help. There are a lot of people here to help you. You are NOT alone. And remember, food wants to be your friend, not just your coping mechanism.
Abby Horst
A podcaster, wife, health/wellness coach, beach lover, and musician. She specialises in nutrition education, meal planning, and developing sustainable habits. She passionately works with her patients to help them build healthier and happier relationships with food, exercise, and themselves.
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